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Inferring population structure and genetic diversity of the invasive alien Nootka lupin in Iceland Polar Res. (IF 1.127) Pub Date : 2021-02-17 Jakub Skorupski; Magdalena Szenejko; Martyna Gruba-Tabaka; Przemysław Śmietana; Remigiusz Panicz
Polar and subpolar regions are known for their particular vulnerability and sensitivity to the detrimental effects of non-indigenous species, which is well exemplified by the Nootka lupin (Lupinus nootkatensis) spread in Iceland. Since understanding the population and ecological genetics of invasive alien species offers hope for counteracting harmful biological invasions, the objective of the present
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Distribution and habitat characteristics of pinnipeds and polar bears in the Svalbard Archipelago, 2005–2018 Polar Res. (IF 1.127) Pub Date : 2021-02-04 Olof Bengtsson; Charmain D. Hamilton; Christian Lydersen; Magnus Andersen; Kit M. Kovacs
This study presents comprehensive mapping of the current distribution of pinnipeds and polar bears (Ursus maritimus) around Svalbard based on a regional marine mammal sightings programme and explores time-trends (2005–2018). Walruses (Odobenus rosmarus) were observed with high frequency and in high numbers around previously identified haul-out sites. At-sea walruses were seen close to the coast in
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Subglacial discharge weakens the stability of the Ross Ice Shelf around the grounding line Polar Res. (IF 1.127) Pub Date : 2021-01-22 Yan Li; Hongling Shi; Yang Lu; Zizhan Zhang; Hui Xi
In this paper, we examine potential impact of discharge in Subglacial Lake Engelhardt, West Antarctica, on the stability of the Ross Ice Shelf around the grounding line by combining satellite altimetry and remote sensing images. According to satellite altimetry data from the Ice, Cloud and Land Elevation Satellite (ICESat; 2003–06), Subglacial Lake Engelhardt (SLE) discharged ca. 1.91 ± 0.04 km3 of
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Organic carbon and microbiome in tundra and forest–tundra permafrost soils, southern Yamal, Russia Polar Res. (IF 1.127) Pub Date : 2021-01-08 Ivan Alekseev; Aleksei Zverev; Evgeny Abakumov
Permafrost soils differ significantly from other soils because they serve as a huge reservoir for organic carbon accumulated during the Quaternary Period, which is at risk of being released as the Arctic warms. This study aimed to characterize existing carbon pools, delineate possible mineralization risks of soil organic matter and assess microbial communities in the tundra and forest–tundra permafrost
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Occurrence of sperm whale (Physeter macrocephalus) in the Russian Arctic Polar Res. (IF 1.127) Pub Date : 2020-12-30 Igor Popov; Götz Eichhorn
We report two sperm whale (Physeter macrocephalus) strandings observed in the south-east corner of the Barents Sea (i.e., Pechora Sea) in 2018, unusually far from the species’ hitherto known distribution. While compiling a comprehensive overview of the occurrence of sperm whale sightings and strandings in the Russian Arctic, we learnt about one further stranding in the Pechora Sea, observed in 2017
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Post-depositional loss of nitrate and chloride in Antarctic snow by photolysis and sublimation: a field investigation Polar Res. (IF 1.127) Pub Date : 2020-12-28 Kazushi Noro; Norimichi Takenaka
Nitrate in snow is subject to post-depositional processing, which leads to a net loss and redistribution within the snowpack. The relative importance of post-depositional loss processes such as the volatilization of nitric acid (HNO3) and photolysis of nitrate has long been debated. Changes in nitrate and chloride concentrations in the snowpack were investigated at H128 (69°23.584’S, 41°33.712’E),
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Sharing country food: connecting health, food security and cultural continuity in Chesterfield Inlet, Nunavut Polar Res. (IF 1.127) Pub Date : 2020-12-23 Sarah L. Newell; Nancy C. Doubleday; & Community of Chesterfield Inlet, Nunavut
Food security is a complex topic defined not just by having enough nutritious food to eat but also by cost, safety and cultural considerations. In Arctic Inuit communities, food security is intimately connected to culture through traditional methods of harvesting country food. In Chesterfield Inlet, Nunavut, community-based research was conducted in collaboration with Chesterfield Inlet community members
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Morphological measurements of Atlantic puffin (Fratercula arctica naumanni) in High-Arctic Greenland Polar Res. (IF 1.127) Pub Date : 2020-12-21 Kurt K. Burnham; Jennifer L. Burnham; Jeff A. Johnson
Morphological measurements of 45 adult Atlantic puffins Fratercula arctica were collected in High-Arctic Greenland between 2010 and 2016. Measurements support that the population belongs to the F. a. naumanni subspecies and were significantly larger than those from populations found at lower latitudes, including F. a. grabae and F. a. arctica populations. Male puffins from High-Arctic Greenland had
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Pathogen surveillance in Southern Ocean pinnipeds Polar Res. (IF 1.127) Pub Date : 2020-12-17 Sandra Núñez-Egido; Andrew Lowther; Ingebjørg H. Nymo; Jörn Klein; Eva M. Breines; Morten Tryland
Knowledge of the health status and potential effect of disease outbreaks among Southern Ocean fauna may be decisive for its conservation. We assessed the exposure and infection of Antarctic fur seals (Arctocephalus gazella, AFS) and Southern elephant seals (Mirounga leonine, SES) to parapoxvirus, Phocid alphaherpesvirus-1 (PhHV-1), smooth Brucella spp. and Toxoplasma gondii. AFS (n = 65) serum and
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Temporal and spatial change in the relationship between sea-ice motion and wind in the Arctic Polar Res. (IF 1.127) Pub Date : 2020-11-26 Ken Maeda; Noriaki Kimura; Hajime Yamaguchi
This paper examines the temporal and spatial change in the characteristics of sea-ice motion in the Arctic. Ice motion is generally expressed by a motion at a constant ratio (wind factor) of wind speed, with a certain angle (turning angle) from the wind direction, and ocean currents. This study aimed to reveal the recent changes of the wind factor and turning angle using satellite observation data
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Networks of international co-authorship in journal articles about Antarctic research, 1998–2015 Polar Res. (IF 1.127) Pub Date : 2020-11-14 Duckhee Jang; Soogwan Doh; Yongjin Choi
This study seeks insight into the social structure of Antarctic research from 1998 to 2015 by examining peer-reviewed journal articles listed in the Science Citation Index of the Web of Science database. This study identifies leading countries in peer-reviewed journal article output and applies social network analysis methods to identify countries where authors are collaborating with those affiliated
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The ice flux to the Lambert Glacier and Amery Ice Shelf along the Chinese inland traverse and implications for mass balance of the drainage basins, East Antarctica Polar Res. (IF 1.127) Pub Date : 2020-11-02 Xiangbin Cui; Wenjia Du; Huan Xie; Bo Sun
Study of the mass balance of the Antarctic Ice Sheet is critical to estimate its potential contribution to global sea-level rise in the future. As the largest drainage system, the Lambert Glacier–Amery Ice Shelf drainage system plays an important role in the mass balance of the Antarctic Ice Sheet. In this study, the ice thickness measured by airborne ice-penetrating radar with high spatial resolution
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Variable predator–prey relations in zooplankton overwintering in Subarctic fjords Polar Res. (IF 1.127) Pub Date : 2020-10-29 Stig Skreslet; Marina Espinasse; Ketil Olsen; Boris D. Espinasse
Zooplankton predator–prey relations in northern Norwegian fjords are highly variable in time and space, and the mechanisms driving this variability are still poorly understood. Replicate Juday net sampling in October and February from 1983 to 2005, which included five repeated tows from bottom to surface, was conducted in Saltfjord and Mistfjord, northern Norway. The time-series provided evidence of
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The last two millennia: climate, ocean circulation and palaeoproductivity inferred from planktic foraminifera, south-western Svalbard margin Polar Res. (IF 1.127) Pub Date : 2020-10-20 Katarzyna Zamelczyk; Tine L. Rasmussen; Markus Raitzsch; Melissa Chierici
We reconstruct climate and changes in water-mass properties in relation to variations in palaeoproductivity at the south-western Svalbard margin throughout the last 2000 years. Environmental conditions in subsurface (ca. 250–75 m) and near-surface to surface water (75–0 m) were studied on the basis of the distribution patterns and fluxes of planktic foraminiferal faunas. Stable isotopes in three different
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Unusual drift behaviour of multi-year sea ice in the Beaufort Sea during summer 2018 Polar Res. (IF 1.127) Pub Date : 2020-10-14 Noriaki Kimura; Kazutaka Tateyama; Kazutoshi Sato; Richard A. Krishfield; Hajime Yamaguchi
In summer 2018, thick sea ice blocked the mouth of the Amundsen Gulf (AG), Canada, obstructing shipping through the North-west Passage. This study analysed multi-year ice motion to investigate the source of this thick ice and the reasons for its unusual movement. For this purpose, a daily multi-year ice distribution product was generated by ice tracking using gridded daily sea-ice velocities (2003–2018)
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Ichnodiversity and bathymetric range of microbioerosion traces in polar barnacles of Svalbard Polar Res. (IF 1.127) Pub Date : 2020-09-14 Neele Meyer; Max Wisshak; André Freiwald
This first comprehensive investigation of microbioerosion traces in polar barnacles addresses two bathymetrical transects from the intertidal down to subtidal water depths in two different carbonate factories in the Svalbard Archipelago: the bay Mosselbukta and the ocean bank Bjørnøy-Banken. Scanning electron microscopy of epoxy resin casts of barnacle shells yielded 20 different microendolithic bioerosion
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The effect of an experimental decrease in salinity on the viability of the Subarctic planktonic foraminifera Neogloboquadrina incompta Polar Res. (IF 1.127) Pub Date : 2020-08-27 Mattia Greco; Julie Meilland; Kasia Zamelczyk; Tine L. Rasmussen; Michal Kucera
Chemical signatures in the calcite of shells of polar and subpolar planktonic foraminifera have been frequently used to trace and quantify past meltwater discharge events. This approach assumes that the foraminifera can tolerate low salinity under extended periods. To obtain a first experimental constraint on salinity tolerance of Subarctic foraminifera, we carried out a culturing experiment with specimens
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First record of horned puffin in the North Atlantic and tufted puffin in High Arctic Greenland Polar Res. (IF 1.127) Pub Date : 2020-06-26 Kurt K. Burnham; Jennifer L. Burnham; Jeff A. Johnson; Bridger W. Konkel; Jack Stephens; Hannah Badgett
An accelerating decrease in summer sea-ice extent in the Arctic Ocean and Canadian Arctic Archipelago (North-west Passage) is predicted to increase the movement of species between the North Pacific and North Atlantic oceans. Here we report observations of two Subarctic North Pacific puffin species in the North Atlantic near the coast of north-west Greenland. We observed a horned puffin (Fratercula
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Growth-related changes in salt gland mass in gentoo and chinstrap penguin chicks Polar Res. (IF 1.127) Pub Date : 2020-06-29 Youmin Kim; Min-Su Jeong; Hae-Min Seo; Hankyu Kim; Woo-Shin Lee; Chang-Yong Choi
The salt gland is a well-developed osmoregulation organ in marine birds, and its relative size often reflects an individual’s feeding environment and osmoregulation capability. The development and functions of salt glands have been described for the Adélie penguin (Pygoscelis adeliae), but this information has been poorly documented in the other two pygoscelid species: gentoo (P. papua) and chinstrap
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Outline shape analysis of penguin humeri: a robust approach to taxonomic classification Polar Res. (IF 1.127) Pub Date : 2020-06-11 Piotr Jadwiszczak
Humeri have been useful bones in taxonomic determinations of extinct penguins. In the context of neontological taxonomic studies, however, their potential remains unsatisfactorily explored. Here, the variation of the overall closed-outline shape of 60 humeri, assignable to five genera of extant penguins, was investigated. A set of normalized outlines was quantified via elliptical Fourier analysis and
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Marine debris on two Arctic beaches in the Russian Far East Polar Res. (IF 1.127) Pub Date : 2020-06-11 Henrik Kylin
In August 2005, marine debris was counted on two Arctic beaches in the Russian Far East. On the north coast of the Chukchi Peninsula east of Kolyuchin Bay, a beach stretch of ca. 2.4 km held a total of 736 items, 0.024 items m‑2, while no more than 0.0011 items m‑2, 12 items in total, were found on a beach stretch of ca. 1.2 km on southern Wrangel Island. The likely explanation for this difference
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Does foraminiferal test size reflect changes in palaeoenvironmental conditions?—a case study from the southern Svalbard shelf Polar Res. (IF 1.127) Pub Date : 2020-06-19 Maciej M. Telesiński; Natalia Szymańska; Joanna Pawłowska; Marek Zajączkowski
Although the environmental factors influencing the growth rate and reproduction of benthic foraminifera are known, the relationship between foraminifera test size and environmental variables remains unclear, especially on geological timescales. In this article, we present two records of benthic foraminiferal test size over the last 14 000 years from the southern Svalbard shelf. We use statistical correlation
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Revisiting the extended Svalbard Airport monthly temperature series, and the compiled corresponding daily series 1898–2018 Polar Res. (IF 1.127) Pub Date : 2020-06-27 Øyvind Nordli; Przemysław Wyszyński; Herdis M. Gjelten; Ketil Isaksen; Ewa Łupikasza; Tadeusz Niedźwiedź; Rajmund Przybylak
The Svalbard Airport composite series spanning the period from 1898 to the present represents one of very few long-term instrumental temperature series from the High Arctic. A homogenized monthly temperature series is available since 2014. Here we increase the resolution from a monthly to daily basis, and further digitization of historical data has reduced the uncertainty of the series. The most pronounced
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Ice-out and freshet fluxes of CO2 and CH4 across the air–water interface of the channel network of a great Arctic delta, the Mackenzie Polar Res. (IF 1.127) Pub Date : 2020-06-26 Jolie A.L. Gareis; Lance F.W. Lesack
Carbon dioxide (CO2) and methane (CH4) were monitored at five sites spanning the upstream–downstream extent of the Mackenzie Delta channel network during May 2010, capturing the historically under-sampled ice-out period that includes the rising freshet, peak water levels and the early falling freshet (flood recession). Unexpectedly, partial pressures of CO2 in the Mackenzie River were undersaturated
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Effect of ikaite precipitation on phosphate removal in sea ice Polar Res. (IF 1.127) Pub Date : 2020-07-08 Yu-Bin Hu; Feiyue Wang
Ikaite (CaCO3·6H2O) precipitation in sea ice has been shown to affect CO2 exchange between the atmosphere and ocean. A laboratory study indicates that it could also co-precipitate phosphate from sea ice, which has the potential to affect sea-ice biogeochemical processes. However, the relative importance of ikaite precipitation on phosphate removal under sea-ice conditions remains unknown. We investigated
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Distribution and source of glycerol dialkyl glycerol tetraethers (GDGTs) and the applicability of GDGT-based temperature proxies in surface sediments of Prydz Bay, East Antarctica Polar Res. (IF 1.127) Pub Date : 2020-07-14 Ruijuan Liu; Zhengbing Han; Jun Zhao; Haifeng Zhang; Dong Li; Jianye Ren; Jianming Pan; Haisheng Zhang
Reliable records of Southern Ocean seawater palaeotemperatures are important because this region plays a significant role in regulating global climate change. Biomarkers such as GDGT-based indices have been effectively used to reconstruct seawater temperatures. We analysed the composition and distribution of iGDGTs, OH-GDGTs and brGDGTs and calculated GDGT-based temperature indices in surface sediments
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Reconstructing the Little Ice Age extent of Langfjordjøkelen, Arctic mainland Norway, as a baseline for assessing centennial-scale icefield recession Polar Res. (IF 1.127) Pub Date : 2020-08-01 Paul Weber; Harold Lovell; Liss M. Andreassen; Clare M. Boston
Current warming in the Arctic is occurring at a rate two to three times higher than that of the rest of the world, leading to rapid glacier wastage. In Arctic mainland Norway, the plateau icefield Langfjordjøkelen has experienced the greatest mass loss of all Norwegian glaciers (excluding Svalbard) in recent decades. In this article, we examine this decline in a centennial-scale context through geomorphological
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New Antarctic clawed lobster species (Crustacea: Decapoda: Nephropidae) from the Upper Cretaceous of James Ross Island Polar Res. (IF 1.127) Pub Date : 2020-08-13 Allysson P. Pinheiro; Antônio Álamo Feitosa Saraiva; William Santana; Juliana Manso Sayão; Rodrigo Giesta Figueiredo; Taissa Rodrigues; Luiz Carlos Weinschütz; Luiza Corral Martins de Oliveira Ponciano; Alexander Wilhelm Armin Kellner
A new species of nephropid lobster, Hoploparia echinata sp. nov., from the James Ross Island in the Antarctic Peninsula is here described and illustrated. The material was collected in the Santa Marta Formation (Santonian–-Campanian), the basal unit of the Marambio Group, Larsen Basin, located in the western portion of the Antarctic Peninsula. Hoploparia echinata sp. nov. can easily be differentiated
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Discovery of a large population of Hygrolembidium isophyllum (Lepidoziaceae, Marchantiophyta) in the South Shetland Islands, Antarctica Polar Res. (IF 1.127) Pub Date : 2020-06-08 Jair Putzke; Flávia Ramos Ferrari; Carlos E.G.R. Schaefer
In February 2019, during fieldwork at Harmony Point, Nelson Island, South Shetland Islands, Antarctica, a large population of the rare liverwort Hygrolembidium isophyllum (Lepidoziaceae) was discovered. The occurrence of this rare species reinforces the need to preserve Antarctic Specially Protected Area 133.
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Smoking guns and volcanic ash: the importance of sparse tephras in Greenland ice cores Polar Res. (IF 1.127) Pub Date : 2020-06-08 Gill Plunkett; Michael Sigl; Jonathan R. Pilcher; Joseph R. McConnell; Nathan Chellman; J.P. Steffensen; Ulf Büntgen
Volcanic ash (fine-grained tephra) within Greenland ice cores can complement the understanding of past volcanism and its environmental and societal impacts. The presence of ash in sparse concentrations in the ice raises questions about whether such material represents primary ashfall in Greenland or resuspended (remobilized) material from continental areas. In this article, we investigate this issue
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Hop-on, hop-off: the first record of the alien species crescent-marked lily aphid (Neomyzus circumflexus) (Insecta, Hemiptera, Aphididae) in Greenland Polar Res. (IF 1.127) Pub Date : 2020-05-08 Karina Wieczorek; Dominik Chłond
We report for the first time the presence of the globally distributed and extremely polyphagous pest species—the crescent-marked lily aphid (or mottled arum aphid) (Neomyzus circumflexus L.) (Insecta, Hemiptera, Aphididae)—in Greenland. This species, of alien origin, was found on the ornamental plant Salix arbuscula L., imported from Denmark and sold in the main supermarket of Nuuk, the capital of
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Modelling polar bear maternity den habitat in east Svalbard Polar Res. (IF 1.127) Pub Date : 2020-03-24 Benjamin Merkel; Jon Aars; Glen E Liston
We evaluated a novel tool that predicts possible maternity den habitat of the polar bear (Ursus maritimus) based on a physical snow transport model, a digital terrain model and weather data. We observed and compared den locations in three important denning areas in east Svalbard (Kongsøya, n = 288; Svenskøya, n = 86; Hopen, n = 115) with modelled snowdrift distributions for 24 years. Accounting for
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Eurasian winter temperature change in recent decades and its association with Arctic sea ice loss Polar Res. (IF 1.127) Pub Date : 2020-03-20 Hye-Jin Kim; Seok-Woo Son
The surface air temperature in the northern mid-latitudes during winter showed a significant cooling trend from the late 1990s to the early 2010s, in spite of increasing greenhouse gas concentrations. This unexpected cooling, which was particularly strong across Eurasia, has been partly attributed to Arctic sea-ice loss. Here, the statistical relationship between Arctic sea-ice loss and surface air-temperature
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Little auks under the midnight sun: diel activity rhythm of a small diving seabird during the Arctic summer Polar Res. (IF 1.127) Pub Date : 2020-02-27 Katarzyna Wojczulanis-Jakubas; Piotr Wąż; Dariusz Jakubas
Many animal species exhibit a diel, 24-hr pattern of activity, which is steered by timing cues, with the daily light–dark cycle considered the most powerful. This cue, however, is reduced in polar zones under continuous daylight conditions associated with the midnight sun. The rhythm of animal behaviour under such conditions is poorly understood. Here, we examine periodicity and patterns of daily activity
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Human fatigue and the crash of the airship Italia. Polar Res. (IF 1.127) Pub Date : 2016-01-01 Gregg A Bendrick,Scott A Beckett,Elizabeth B Klerman
The airship Italia, commanded by General Umberto Nobile, crashed during its return flight from the North Pole in 1928. The cause of the accident was never satisfactorily explained. We present evidence that the crash may have been fatigue-related. Nobile's memoirs indicate that at the time of the crash he had been awake for at least 72 h. Sleep deprivation impairs multiple aspects of cognitive functioning
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